Railway intersection.



` E. S. COBB.

` RAILWAY INTBRS'EUTION. v APPLICATION ILLED MAR. 1. 1913'.

Patented sept. 23, 1913.

a SHEETS-sum1' 1.

E. S. COBB.

RAILWAY INTERSEGTION.

APPLICATION FILED MMM. ma.

1,074,()82 Patented Sept. 28, 1913.

2 SHEETS-BHEBT 2.

EDWARD s. com, or wnlrfrlnn, CALIFORNIA. r

RAILWAY INTERSECTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lzrtented Sep t. 23,

Application filed March 1, 1913. Serial No. 751.477'.

To all whom it may concern le 1itknown that I, EDWARD S. Conn, a citizen' of the United States, residing at lVhittier, in the county of Los angeles, State ot California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway Intersections, of which the following is a specification. y v

.This invention relates to an intersection construction for railways and the like;` and relates particularly to a method. and construction of forming a continuous rail and causing continuous track action at any sort of intersection. y

ltffis a prime object of my invention to provide a construction which will at once be simple and-efficient, amply f strong and durable. and which will4 provide continuous rail action at any and, all crossings and provide rail intersection joints of such nature as to avoid all shock, wear and dc't'in'niation ot both the rails and the wheels passing over them.

v The fundamental of this particular inven- 'tion iS the provision of vertically movable rail portions directly adjacent individual rail intersections, these movable rail portions directly 'abutting the ends ot the rails 1 aty their junctions. I provide suitable means for bodily moving the said rail portions up and down; the uppermost position being that in which the tread of the. railportion is on a level with the tread ot the intersecting rails, and the lowermof-:t position being below all ofthe rails. My means ot' operation preferably includes mechanisms 'tor coperatively moving the movable rail portions, so

4that when one Set is in itsnpperi'nost posi-l tion, the other is in its lowerniest position; and my operatino mechanism also'ineludes a means for locking the movable rails in their respective positions in such substantial man ner. that they'are supported at least as solidly as theintersecting rails themselves.. It will-be seen that my construction altords opportunityvfor great solidity and accuracy of ,construction and operation; that there 'are very few werking parts and wearingl apt toV become disordered, and that the joints between the .stationary and movable prts otwthe' rails may be .made to ht very tightly and t thereby avoid completely all deformation at the joint.

I will describe a preferred form ot this 1nparts vention in the itollowing specification and I have shown such a form in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a sectional plan ot' an ordinary right angle crossing equipped with mv invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 ot Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail section taken as indicated by line 3 3 of Fig. 1. `Figs. il and 5 are perspectives illustrating the vtorni oit' oint preferably used in my construction and showing the ditlerent positions assumed by the movable rail portions. Fig. (3 is a diagrannnatic perspective illustrating a torni oi electrical control for the operating mechanism. Figs. 7 and 8 are details illustrating the broad bearing surfaces at the movable rail joints.

.-\.ltlmugh l illustrate my invention as applied to a right angle intersection of two pairs o't' parallel rails each, it will be understood that my invention may be applied to au interna-tion or crossing ot any character. lt will be seen. from the :following detailed dewripion. that it is only a matter of' adaptation to apply my invention at any angle to a er-ssing ot' any number ol' tracks. or rails. l n the accompanying drawings l() and l1 may designate rails o't an intersecting pair, each ot the rails l0 and lll terminating' in the individual rail junctions at the tour corners of the track intersection. .l prefer to malte these rail junctions generally as shown in the drawings, the intersecting rails terminating on a surface or surfaces l2 which may be approximately at right angles to the planel bisecting the angle between the intersecting rails. I pre'ter however, to have a portion lf3 of one of the intersecting rails project beyond the surfaces 1Q, so as to avoid any sharp points which might be ing over Vthe rails. This portion 13 l prefer to malte ot' the same thickness as the webs` 'l0Ll and lla o't the rails, the lower parts ot the portions 13 being formed of the web itselt' and the upper parts being those portions of the heads ot the rails which extend directly above the web. Thus it will be seen y that the metal at the junction itself is well suppn'ted; and that, although in general the junction planes are at an angle there are no acute projections oi. metal which i would be apt to be battered ont ot shape by i wheels passing over the joint..

deformed by the pressure o the wheels pass- I provide for my constructionfa.suitable" box `foundation 15 which is properly designed'and formed to afford supports for the ends' of the rails 10 and 11 at their junction. The rails ll and 11 may be suitably bolts as at 16, to the box foundation and they may be secured together. by a heavy angle strap 17, serving to hold them in close engagement with each otherand serving to give great solidity to the construction.

l(This construction is shown at one corner of Fig. 1 and in Fig. 7.,)v It is yof great importance that the individual rails, be held solidly, so that the end surfaces 12, against which the movable portions of the rails engage and abut, will always be rigidly fixed in position. With the rails rigidly held in position, it is possible to make a very tight joint'between the rails themselves and the movable rail portions, so that there is, to lall intents andpurposes, no opening at all at the joint. It will be observed that the rails 10 and 11 are bolted to platforms or flanges which are supported by suitable brackets ex? tending `beneath the flanges to the base 158L of the foundation. rI`his base 15a may be mounted upon any suitable foundation for rigidly supporting the whole crossing construction in its proper .alinement For each one of the individual rail intersections I provide a vertically movable rail portion v having its end shaped in comple- ,mentary relation to the ends of the rails 10 and 11, so that the rails 10 and 11 and the two movable portions 20, together form asolid junction. It is a characteristic of my present invention that the portions 20, for each of the individual rail junctions, shall A be vertically movable; so that one of them may be raised to form a continuous track-on one of the rails 10 or 11 and the other may be lowered to afford space for the passage of a wheel flange inside the rail which is thus made continuous. Although it is not absolutely essential to my invention to do so, I prefer to make portions 20 incorporated in pairs in movable rail sections 21, these rail sections 21 including all of that portion of the rail which ordinarilyextends betweenv 'the individual rail intersections. These movable rail'sections 21 I make vertically movable as a whole; that is, they are bodily translatable in a vertical direction. This movement of vertical translation makes the I joint between the movable rail portions and the permanent railportions of a vertically sliding nature; and I provide av mechanism of sufficient power to move the rail portions 21 even if the joints are very tight. In fact,

I propose to make these joints fit as tightly1 as can be without excessive binding and friction. l

It will be seen that my arrangement of single one-piece rail portions between thel intersections and the lpeculiar interlocking arrangement, at ,the intersecting vmakers for great rigidity and solidness.v It is impos# sible to displace any 'of the' movable raill portions either longitudinally or laterally,

absolute confinemtn 'being had to vertical moi' tion. This is an important feature of kmy invention, a feature which depends -upon the peculiar manner in which the rails meet'atvY the individual rail junctions. j t In Figs. 7 and 8 'I have illustrated my preferred provision of broadbearingsur-v faces between the relatively moving4 parts" On the rails 10' and 11.

of the rail joints. y and the movable sections 21 I fasten bearing blocks 21a (shown only in these figures,

for clarity of illustration) which have diagonal end surfaces 21b-bearin against each other. stantially continuous ,enlargements` of the diagonal end faces 12 of therails; and altogether there is thus provided ample bearing These ample v surface to insure long wear. bearing surfaces also promotegreat solidity at the rail joints and make it impossible to force a rail out of alinement.

I will now explain the mechanism for 'moving'the individual rail parts 221 and will then explain theircoperation.

Each of the parts 21 is mounted directly upon a preferably wooden supporting block 25, to give thedesired elasticity similar to that of a rail on wooden ties; which block ,'Ihese diagonal surfaces are subin Aturn is mounted upon ya plate 26y andupon 1 a pair of inclined` plane blocks 27. lAll'of these parts are, secured together by bolts or other means 28, so that all` the parts are held togetheras a single member and'with great rigidity. The inclined-plane blocks- 27 are situated one at each end ofthe construction, and their ends operate in suitable. vertical ways 29 within the box foundation 15. Below each of the inclined-plane blocks 27 is a similar block 30 substantially` se- 'cured to the base 15EL of box foundation 15,

the arrangement being such that the. inclined faces 30a and 27a of the blocks 30 and 27 oppose each other and may be en gaged by the opposite faces of a horizonl iis 35 secured to and carried bythe wedges 31",

the action being lsuch that the faces` 27a and 30% of the blocks 27 and 30 are -always kept in engagement with the wedge, or that blocks 27 are forced down, instead ofy merely .I

being allowed to. fall, when .thewedges are moved toward each other. The wedges 31 are operated from a shaftfiOjcarried in suit- 130 able bearings lil. A double armed member fit?, is n'iounted upon the shaft 4:0 and suitable connecting links i3 connect between the member l2 and the wedges 31; the links eli-3 are of such configuration as to allow a halt rotation of the shaft ll() and member ft2 without interference by the links; and the design is such that a halt' rotation of shaft ll() in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 will cause the retraction of the wedges 31 sutlicieutlyto drop the rail sections 21 to the position shown in Figs. t and 5 and in section at the right hand portion of Fig. 2. TiVlien the parts are in the position shown in elevation in Fig. 2, the rail part 2l is raised to its uppermost position, and its tread surface will then be in alinement with the tread surface of vthe rails l() or ll. In this position of the mechanism, it will be seen that the various centers ot coiniection ot the links 43 will all be approximately in a single plane; so that. any tendency of do vnward pressure on the rail parts 2l to move the wedges inwardly will result in no tendency to rotate the shaft 40. 'lhis will ett'ectiially lock the rails in their operating position.Y

Ea'ch ot the shafts i0 is mounted in snitable bearings 411; and the shafts are so interconnected by gears 45 and 4G that they will simultaneouslyy be rotated in the directions indicated. vThe. arrangements of the eonnectiug links itil are made so that rotation ot one oi the shafts Al() in the direction indicated will cause outward movement of the, wedges 3l while the simultaneous rotation olC the other shaft 4t() in the direction indicated will cause inward movemi-int ol the corresponding wedges Izljl. ln Fig. l the parts correspondingy to rails 11 are shown in position to hold the wedges 51 outwardlyv and to hold the other set oil" hedges 3l toward each other; thus holding the rail parts 2l up to form contiuuations ot' rails l1 and loweringr the rail parts 2l which would t'orin continuations et the rails l0.

i may preferably operate my complete mechanism from a suitable electric motor 5() connected by gearing 5l with one of the shafts llt). Motor 50 may be controlled in amv suitable manner; by hand or by autoinatic car operation. Either et these methods is well known and needs no explanation here. I may preferably provide a suitable means ot' stopping the motor 50 when the parts ot the mechanism have reached their limits ot travel; and such a provision may be made in connection with one of the shafts 40.

lt will be understood that the inotor 5t) will be lirst operated in one direction and then in the reverse direction, causing the rotation ot the shait't `itl iii-st in one direction and then in the other. 'lhe `various partsl are shown in position Vfor the nextrotation ofthe shaft 110 (the one carrying the coininutator (50) in the direction indicated. 'lhe commutator (it) may' ha \'e thereon two pairs ot' collector" rings (il and '(52 and two pairs oit' segments G3 and tri. Suitable brushes (S5- and GG may engage the collector rings (il and (i2, and troni these brushes wires (Si and (i8 may lead to the motor 50, being connccted thereto in such manner that supply of current through one set ot wires will operate the niotor in one direction and supply through the other set ot wires will ol'icrate the motor in the other direction. The seg` ments (Sti and G-it may be engaged by suitable brushes (it) and T0 and wires 7l and 72 leading from these brushes will t'orm the means ot supplying current to the motor tor opel:- ating the track intersecting mechanism. In the form shown in the drawings, the shafts 4t) require V,a rotation` ol" approximately '180 degrees, or slightly less; and it will be seep that the segments (38 and tl-iare s'o arranged that, on a travel ot' the coinmutator 0i" slightly less than 1S() degreesin either drcction, one or other ot the sets of brushes (it) or Tt) will be ont of engagement with the coi-responding segments. '.thus, the ar rangement may be such that it' current is supplied to the wires 72, it will pass through brushes 70, segments (l-3, cominutator connrcticns T5. collector rings (S2, brushes 66 and wires ('S to the motor; which will operate the motor in a dircctifm to turn the shafts and the coininutator in the direction indicated by the arrows. 'this will cause the rotation olf the segment (S3 under the brushes 7d; and when the ends ol" the seg ments hare passed from under the brushes, the circuit will be broken and the motor will cease operation ot" the mechanism. During this rotation, the segments tial will have passed under the brushesl (it) and will bc thus in electrical contact l'or the next operation oil the motor. The next operation will be caused by sending current through the wires Tl, which will supply current to the motor through brushes (Si), segments` t'i-ll, commutator connections 7G, 'collcctiin' rings (il. brushes (l5, and wires (37; and the motor will then rotate in the direction opposite to that in which it rotated before, and the mechanism and the coiniuut'ator will bc moved back to its former position, thc circuit being broken when the ends ot the segments (il pass imderncath brushes tit).

l'lraving described my invention, .l claim:

l. A. railway intersection, comprising two i ing between'j the rail intersections and adapted; tov form,` continuations of the individual Q rai'lsaid rails and rail sections all meeting atfthe junctions along vertical planes diag' 'onal to each of the rails, said sections being vertically translatable and abuttingat cach `end one ofthe railendsat a junction, and p51- ineans for cooperatively raising 4and lowering said rail sections so `that when onev pair of said sections is in position to form continuation of one pair of rails the other pair' of said sections is lowered below all'the rails. 3. In combination, two intersecting rails, the section of each' rail on one side of the intersection being stationary and the section of each rail on the opposite side of the intersection being vertically movable, all "four of said sections'meeting along vertical planes diagonal toeach of-the rails.

4. In combination, two intersecting rails,

the section of each rail on one side of the intersection being stationary and the section Y 30. of each rail on the opposite side of the intersectionbeing vertically movable, all four of said sections meeting along vertical pllnes which bisect the angles between the ra s. 5. In combination, two intersecting rails,

the section of each rail on one side of the intersection being stationary and the section of each rail on the opposite side of the intersection being vertically movable, all four of' said sectionsl meeting along vertical planes which bisect the'aiigles between the rails, and bearing blocks having surfaces in said planes to bear against each other at the ends'of the rail sections.

6. In combination, two intersecting rails,

vthe section of each rail on one side of the intersection being stationary and the section of each rail on the opposite side of the intersection being vertically movable, all four of said sections meeting along vertical planes 'diagonal to each of the rails, and bearing blocks on each of said sections having bearing faces in said planes. i 7. In combination, two intersectingrails, the section of each rail on one side of the intersection being stationary and the section 0f each rail on the opposite side of the. intersection being vertically movable, all four of said sections meeting along vertical planes diagonal to each of the rails, one of said sections having a central projection beyond said planes of 'intersection and the other sections having complementary end formations to lit against said projection.

8. In combination, two intersecting rails,

said sections meeting. along vertical planes t the section of each lrail on one side of the intersection being stationary and the section of each rail on the opposite side of the intersection being vertically movable, all four of diagonal to each of the rails,.one of said sec- 70 tions having a central projection beyond said planes of intersection and the other sections having complementary `end formations to fit against said project-ions, and bearing blocks on each of said sections having bearing faces in said diagonal planes..

9. A rail intersection construction, comprisinga plurality of rails ending in a junction, a continuation portion of each of said rails directly abutting the junction of the several railsand vertically movable, a shock i absorbing block directly beneath each con tinuation portion, and means 'eneath said blbcks to bodily raise and lower each of said blocks and rail portions.v

10. A. rail intersection construction, coniprising a plurality of rails ending in a junction, a continuation portion of each of said rails d irectly abutting the junction -of the several rails and vertically movable, inclined plane and wedge mechanism acting longiy tudinally of each continuation ,portion to positively raise the respective portions, and means cooperating with said mechanism to positively lower `the respective rail'portions.

11. ln combination, two intersecting rails, the section of each rail on one side of the intersection being stationary and the section of each rail on the opposite side of the intersection being vertically jiiovable, all four of said sections meeting aldng vertical planes diagonal to each' of the rails, and beai'ing blocks on each of said sections having bearing facesin said planes, said means including an inclined plane and wedge mechanism acting longitudinally of each continuation portion, and means cooperating with each of said mechanisms to positively lower the respective rail portions.

12. In a railway intersection of the character described, a vertically Amovable rail continuation portion, inclined plane blocks supporting said portion with its inclination axis longitudinal of the rail portion, coperating stationary inclined plane blocks, wedges adapted to act longitudinally of the rail portion betweeiif'saidinclined planes to raise the rail portions, mechanism for operating said wedges, and coperating means carried by the blocks and wedges to posi' tively lower the rail portionlas the wedges are withdrawn.

13. In a railway intersection of the .character described, a vertically movable rail continuation portion, inclined plane blocks supporting said portion with their inclination axes longitudinal of the rail portion, cooperating stationary inclined plane blocks,

wedges adapted to act longitudinally of the` 13o/ x Varound Suid. rilnfs.

lll. ln n railway inlnrsentinn oil' tlm rflniraclrr described, :i rc1-tic: lli' inn-Vahle rnil continnalinn pnrlinn, :L wnnrln slim-li nlr- Sorbing lilnnli directly snppnrling Huid pnl tion, inclined plane lilnnlin sniipnrling; siiiil shock absorbing lilnnl; nml mill, pnrliinn nnil al'lxclfl dirgxctly therein, cfnpnrnling' falntimn ary nlinnd plnnn lilnclisj wedges inlnplml to act longitudinally of 'the 'nil 'pnrlinn lictween Said innlilind planes lo rziis lln; rnil porlions, innrlninisln i'nr @painting sind "Wedges, :unl crpcrnting means can-rind by the blog-lis nml. wcfilgcs n pnsailivnly lnwcr lln:

4 'all portion. ns tlln wnilgos nrn wil'lnflrnn'n,`

said mm ns including' lnngitnrlinnl iniiiliz'ml ribs on Suid lilnclis und ynlies (znrriml liy (lin wedges nml. rngljuging nrnnnil smid rilw.

1 5. A rnilwn inlznrsi-rlinn nnnstrniflinin tboniprising :1 il'ninnlnlinn linx, inlorsclinlg pairs nl' rails slippnrl'cil nnl llin npprr nnlvr parls nl? line llnx, unl-l1 nl" Smil mils ending; :il:

n jnnclinn with a: ruil nl unnlnlicr parir, Single nil svcl'inne; nxlvmling linlm'cen the 'nil inlnrsnntinns lnrlningg cnnlnnntnns nl' the iniliiiilnnl rails, ,Lzziifl snel "rnlnslnlnl'il-i :unl sniil. sncliuns anni rails all numbing); nl, llin ilnnzlinnrs along vertical plnnrs which llisicll tlm nngzjlrs linLwccn the rails, n wnnflnn sllnnlc nlfsnrlling block directly supporting @urli rnil cnntinnnliinn porlzinninrlinnll plnnn lilncli snppiirling nach wnnilen'lilnuli nl null cnil :nifl nlllxnil directly Vin mid wnnilcn nlm-,lm nml lo said ruil pnr linnn', iznpvrziling slnrinnnry inuli'ncd plnne lllnrflns ninnnlml williin lli@ 'l'nnnilntinn linx, wrilggnla :nlniilcil in nel lnngiiinlinnlly of tlm ruspncliic rziil pnrlinnfs4 lint-wenn Snii'l inclinnil plnnfs lilnnlqn ln ruilen (lin rnnpcclivn rnil portions nnrnlninisnl cnnlnincil within llnx lninnlnl inn linx 'for npnrnl'ling llin Wedges, longilnalinnl innlinml rills nn :zniil blocks, und ynlics nnrrinil by llln, n'ellgis nml engaging' zirnnnil s: iil ribs.

in n'itnrss; llnil: l. clnini illu 'nrcgoing' I 'n lnernlniln snlcrilmil my .nnlnn this 20th nl? llnlu'nnry, 15H3.

lllil". lil. COBB.

inns lining' .'nrlicnlly 

